Never Too Old
by Tera Earth
Summary: A series of one shots showing when the lines between being an adult and being a child are not that far apart. You can always believe.
1. Tooth

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

A/N: I had this idea and decided to just go with it.

Enjoy.

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Toothiana was going on her rounds. After Pitch, she remembered how much she enjoyed it. Seeing the children fast asleep, and that little white tooth just waiting for her under the pillow. So small and precious, and so many memories. She missed doing this.

This room is similar to so many other bedrooms of children. She doesn't notice the posters on the wall showing far off places, the yellow uniforms with a red necktie lying out over a chair, or the many photographs covering every available space on the walls and dressers. Pictures of a small boy with an older woman who share a strong resemblance, an older but not much tall gentlemen whose face changes from cross to overjoyed and affectionate and then there are dogs. There are over 100 dogs, all individually photographed, though the most featured is a large golden retriever with a goofy expression. In the corner of the room hangs a model of a blimp from the ceiling, and on the corner of the bed, lies a sash covered with patches and something that shines when the light from the nightlight hits it.

Sandy had been this way, she was sure of it. The boy is sound asleep with a smile on his face. His mouth is slightly opened that shows a gap as she reaches and pulls out a tooth from beneath the pillow. Replacing the tooth with a coin, she adds the tooth to her bag and smiles as she leaves. She can't wait to add this little gem to her collection.


	2. First Christmas

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Got this idea at work today and had to write it down.

Enjoy.

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Her eyes opened wide in shock. "You mean you've never stayed up for Santa?" The poor boy shakes his head, slightly jostling the aviators cap on his head. For a moment, she seems sad before a smile breaks out on her face. "Well then, I guess we'll have to fix that." The next thing he knows, he has permission from his mom to spend the night and they're setting up a base of operations, as she calls it on her couch. "Now this here is every flashlight in the house. If we're gonna see him, we need to be stealthy, quiet, and most of all patient" She smiles while holding up a flashlight under her chin while smiling. The effect startles the boy for a second as she turns it on, but he squares his shoulders and nods in agreement. Normally his family doesn't make as big a to do with Christmas. So being here with the official welcome plate of cookies and milk for Santa and their own supply is making him become very excited. He smiles and grabs a flashlight of his own, to prepare for the night ahead. She smiles at him and they begin their watch.

8 pm

Her mom comes in, they haven't moved much since they set up about an hour ago. The cookies between them are almost gone. She is showing him her notebook of theories and ideas. He looks at her like she the general of an army. Her face lights up telling him all her stories she's collected. She calls out to them. "Does anyone in here want a cookie refill?" At the word "cookies" two heads poke up from the other side of the couch and nod.

"Yes please mamma." He doesn't talk much, but she guess that's because Ellie does most of the talking anyways. And he is such a polite boy. She grins and leaves the room to return with a new plate of cookies. Their faces light up, but he shakes his head. Almost as if she can understand him, she nods. "Right. We ration them." And maybe she can. Her mom just smiles and leaves, telling them goodnight.

9pm

They can hear her dad in the other room, listening to the radio. Some news program most likely. Ellie has started yawning, but Carl is still awake from excitement. And nervousness. His parents told him last year that Santa isn't real, but then he's around Ellie, and she makes sense. Like how easy it is for Santa to get down the chimneys in one night, and the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. And he believes her. He may not be entirely sure about the others, but he believes whole heartily in Ellie. And if she says that Santa is real, then maybe he is. Maybe his parents say he doesn't exist because Santa is only for kids, so adults can't see him. So they don't believe, but Carl is a kid, so it's okay for him to believe. Beside him, Ellie is yawning even more and he's not sure how much longer she'll stay awake. Carl keeps a hold of his flashlight. He'll stay awake for the both of them if he has to.

10pm

Her father went to bed a half hour ago. Ellie is propped up next to him, completely asleep. Carl can feel the tiredness creeping up on him. His eyes are feeling heavy, and he leans over to rest on Ellie. Just for a little bit. Just. For. A. Few. Within minutes he is asleep. The lights are off; the plate of cookies between them is abandoned for visions of sugar plums and fairy tale characters in their heads. The only thing left to brighten up the room is the lights from the Christmas tree in the corner, its colors reflecting over everything close to it.

10:30 pm

Everything is quiet. Not a sound anywhere in the house, except for the occasional sleep talking or snore from upstairs. There is snow outside, still softly falling in the dark. From the living room, a soft groan is heard as Carl wakes up, cold from the loss of his blanket. His eyes are groggy and half closed as he fumbles around for the lost warmth. Suddenly he hears a soft thud, but dismisses it until he hears scratching from the chimney. Squinting, he looks towards the unlit fireplace, not entirely sure what's going on, but finds and pulls closer the blanket that had fallen on the floor. Looking over at Ellie, he gets an idea and throws the blanket over his head, and lies on the couch, keeping a space open to look through. He blinks and suddenly a large figure is in the room, wearing red. He gasps and opens the hole a bit wider.

The figure perks up slightly at the sound and looks around; smiling when he spies the children camped out on the couch. Well, one child at least since the other one seems to be hiding under the blanket.

Carl looks out and his eyes widen when he sees the figure in red is looking right at him. There is a new present under the tree and he looks back to the figure in red. "Santa?" His voice is soft and almost hesitant. The figure or Santa smiles and presses a glove covered finger to his lips. Nodding, Carl also presses a finger to his lips and smiles. Grabbing a cookie, Santa gives a little wave and is suddenly gone. Now wide awake, he starts pushing Ellie, trying to wake her up. Groaning, she tries to stay asleep before another thud is heard from the roof. Eyes wide open, she springs to the window, Carl close behind her. Not seeing anything, she grabs a blanket from the couch and runs to the front door, throwing it open and races outside. Carl smiles, glasses now found and clutched in his hands. Outside, Ellie looks around before pausing, her mouth open wide and still. On the roof, almost as if he was waiting, were Santa and his sled of reindeer. Carl is right beside her, just smiling. Santa spies the two and waves before cracking the reins. With a faint jingle, the reindeer take off, pulling that wonderful sleigh and man behind them. They are gone as quickly as they came, but the children stay there, smiling for a few minutes, the snow having stop a while ago, their feet the only prints on the ground.

"I told you." She looks over at him and smiles, clutching onto the blanket. He grins back at her.

"He is real."


	3. Egg Hunt

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Sorry it took so long. And thank you so much to everyone who is following, reviewing and favoriting this. And now, onto the show.

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Its the morning of Easter Sunday and Russell, Carl and Dug are hunting for eggs in the park. Russell was carrying around a basket large enough to hold Dug in it comfortably... but now it was sitting on the ground. You can almost hear the sides groaning from all the weight now in it. Enough eggs to threaten to spill over and somehow they are all staying in. Russell and now Dug are determined to bring back enough eggs for every dog back on board the Spirit of Adventure. They had wanted to bring them all to the park, but Carl put his foot down. That many dogs in a space like this would be chaos, not to mention unfair to all the other kids there. Carl decided to take a rest at a nearby picnic table while Russell continues his search through the flowerbeds. Dug though is on the lookout. Since he is the new alpha, he feels it is his duty to help out his masters. And by doing that, help to provide for all his fellow dogs. And also for that nice dog he met who lives in that house that smells of fish. She was nice.

His nose is on the ground, constantly looking for that one scent. He smelled it before on the eggs in the basket. They all had...a certain smell. So he is using that smell to find more eggs. He smells the smell. His head perks up and his eyes widen as he pursues the new scent. It smells like the eggs, only stronger. Much stronger. He follows the smell to some bushes. He smells it in the bushes, but he sees no eggs. And he can hear something moving. But still. There was something alive in this bush that smelled like the eggs. He gets closer and keeps searching. He hears something. He can't lift up his head in the bush, but he stops sniffing and smiles.

"Hi there" The animal has stopped moving. He smells afraid. "Please don't be afraid in there. I will not hurt you." It still isn't moving. Dug gets down on his belly and whimpers. He hopes to show the creature that he means no harm. "I am sorry if I startled you. I did not mean to." He hasn't moved, though now he smells less of fear and more out of...well Dug isn't quite sure what the smell is. But at least it isn't fear anymore, so this makes him happy. His tail starts wagging, which pauses the creature that had started to move. Dug smells the area again. He knows this smell from somewhere, though usually this smell was a lot smaller. And he never could get close enough to one. They always ran too fast. This smell was right with the egg smell.

"Are you a bunny? I was just curious because you smell like the eggs, but then you don't. And you also smell like those small animals that I use to chase, but never caught. For you see, I did not want to hurt them, I just wanted to play with them and take them home to show my master. But they were too fast for me. But now I have a new master. So may I take you home and show you to him?" His tail is wagging much harder now and he attempts to stay still. "Will you be my prisoner?"

The "bunny" isn't moving, though it remains there. Part of it is still afraid, part is curious and the other part is just confused. A dog found him. A dog, found him, won't go away, and it can talk. He still remembers the last dog he ran into. That snowflake wouldn't stop laughing for weeks. So needless to say, dogs made him very nervous. Even more so on his main day. He wants to leave, to open a hole and just pop out. But if this dog found him, there's no guarantee he would get away alone. And the last thing he needs is having to watch out for a talking dog who wants to take him home. He was still thinking of his next move when he smells someone coming closer. Older gentleman by his nose. He still isn't sure how he didn't smell the mutt coming from a mile away. But he was here now. And so was the man. He doesn't risk moving and making a sound. After all, even if he couldn't be seen, it didn't mean he couldn't be heard. And while an adult wouldn't hear him, it was time to be better safe than sorry. Staying stock still, he hears the man call out to the dog, not surprised at all that he could talk.

"Hey there boy. What do you have in there?"

"I have found a bunny my master. And I wanted to bring it back to show you, but I think I scared it."

"A bunny eh? Well maybe it's the Easter bunny."

"Easter Bunny? I do not think I know of an Easter bunny."

"Well sure. He's the one who brings all those eggs."

"Oh really? Thank you Mr. Bunny for the eggs."

Bunnymund is now on a whole new level of confused. The dog was...thanking him for the eggs? And he could see the man who told the mutt about him. Short, kinda square with thick glasses, but smiling. Almost familiar. The mutt pulls his head out of the bushes and heads back to the kid with about a years' worth of eggs. The man still stands there, looking back at the two, then turns back to the bush before looking both ways. He cups his hand around his mouth and whispers to the bush with a smile on his face.

"Thanks for all the eggs Easter."

And in that moment, Bunnymund will swear on Easter that he looked straight at him. Not through him, but at him through some of the breaks in the leaves. Slowly, he takes out 3 eggs from his spare basket and nudges them towards the opening where the dogs' head formerly occupied. He hears the kid call out for a Mr. Fredrickson before quickly leaving through a tunnel.

Fredrickson? Like that little boy from decades ago who use to hide out with that little gal and tried to spy on him?

Back on the surface, Carl gathers together the eggs and takes them over to Russell and Dug, who is proudly standing guard over the basket.

"Here. I found three more. Courtesy of the Easter Bunny himself."


End file.
